Who is going to buy your work on Etsy? This is one of the most important things to work through and think about when you’re opening your shop and every time you add something to your shop. If you haven’t asked yourself who your ideal customer is, you may be missing sales.

Your shop should have an overall feel to it that your ideal customer will identify with. Let’s look at some examples:

Check out this knit pattern shop. It’s pretty clear as you browse through the home page that there’s a particular style represented. Not everyone would want these patterns. But, with more than 6,000 sales and counting, they’ve visually identified their ideal customer.

For another take on “knowing your customer” look at this listing from Sweet Jane patterns. When you read the description, she tells you exactly the skill level and work level required for the pattern. She knows who her customer is. It’s someone that is just learning, or that needs a pattern they can finish quickly.

So, who is your ideal customer? What is their style? What is their skill level? What need or want do they have that you can uniquely supply?

If you identify who your target customer is, not only will they buy something from your shop, but they will be delighted and they’ll come back. And repeat customers and referrals are how you make it work!